1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improved sluices designed to be placed in a stream of water that more efficiently separates the large particles from small particles and separates the fine gold particles from the small particles.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common to place a sluice in a stream of water to prospect for gold. During operation, mined material is deposited onto the sluice which then uses the flow of water from the stream to separate the mined material into small particles. The water washes between and over the small particles to dislodge fine particles of gold. The fine gold particles are collected and removed from the sluice. The prospector must carefully monitor the flow of water through the sluice to make sure the sluice is operating properly and that any fine gold particles being collected and not washed away.
Ideally, prospectors want to use sluices that automatically separate the large and small particles, extracts the gold particles from the small particles and then deposits the fine gold particles in an area in the sluice less susceptible to be washed away. Unfortunately, sluices in the prior art do not efficiently separate the fine gold particles from small particles and require the sluice be removed from the stream and partially disassembled to collect the fine gold particles. The acts of continuously monitoring and removing the sluice from the stream, are burdensome and time consuming.
What is needed is an improved sluice that can be setup in a stream that efficiently separates fine gold particles from the mined material and the deposits the fine gold particles in areas or the sluice less susceptible to being washed away and allows the gold particles to be easily removed from the sluice without removing the sluice from the water.